In addition, they have commissioned an array of local language content, aware that locally produced programming is a key draw for subscribers in each country in which they operate. This kind of non-English language content rarely used to travel outside its own borders, but audiences have lapped up international shows from streaming services. Some of the streamers’ biggest recent successes have been foreign language series, from South Korea’s Squid Game to Spain’s La Casa de Papel, both of which were dubbed by VSI. This has led to a growing appetite from viewers for original content from all source languages, which in turn has triggered the spectacular growth in US and British English-language dubbing, something pioneered by VSI studios in Los Angeles and London. Since English-speaking audiences have generally grown up watching original language content only, the standard of English dubbing in terms of creativity and synchronisation has to be particularly high to be readily tolerated and enjoyed.

Successful LSPs have had to adapt. Agility is key. LSPs must be able to scale up and expand their resources when required so that they can support the needs of clients – while continuing to offer global reach combined with local expertise.

As a result, the client and LSP relationship is becoming less transactional than it used to be.  Consequently, LSPs are becoming strategic partners, especially to their streamer clients. This reflects the fact that LSPs no longer just provide localisation services, but actively help clients to anticipate and to meet demand, and to address industry-wide challenges around issues such as capacity, diversity, inclusion and talent development.

A successful LSP needs to think ahead, and pre-emptively address issues that might arise. If there’s growing demand for new languages or a significant ramp up in certain foreign content, they need to proactively boost their capacity in those languages, sourcing and training the right talent.

Crucially, a strategic partner ensures a secure environment for their clients’ content. At VSI, for example, we have worked with clients and regulators to meet strict security expectations, adapting our workflows to meet their needs. Additionally, we provide ongoing internal security training and work on a basis of continual improvement – looking for ways to increase data security in line with industry best practices.

Investment in technology also assists a strategic partner to deliver top quality content to a client. The industry is continuing to experiment with machine technology, evaluating its ability to speed up the localisation process, particularly when high volumes of content need to be translated. For now, the jury is out: audio-visual translation is not as straightforward as text translation, and can actually take longer when the editing process is factored in. It’s also important to remember that technology cannot replace the need for humans in the creative process, particularly for clients who want to stay to true to the essence of the content. The human touch remains vital for successful localisation.